Former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo joins UCLA staff

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LOS ANGELES — Former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo is joining UCLA’s coaching staff as director of leadership.

The school said in an announcement that Niumatalolo will serve as an adviser to the Bruins’ football staff and players.

Niumatalolo led Navy for 15 years and was the winningest coach in school history at 109-83. The Midshipmen, however, finished with losing records the past three seasons, including 4-8 the past two.

Navy played in 10 bowl games under Niumatalolo. He also was the only coach to win his first eight games in the storied Army-Navy rivalry.

New-look AAC releases 2023 slate with 6 new schools

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IRVING, Texas — The American Athletic Conference released its 2023 schedule that includes the league’s six incoming teams.

Each of the 14 AAC teams will play eight conference games in a single-division format. The top two teams in the standings will play in the conference championship game on Dec. 2.

Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA all officially join the AAC on July 1. Their move from Conference USA will be completed at the same time that current AAC members Cincinnati, Houston and UCF depart for the Big 12 Conference.

Reigning AAC champion Tulane opens the season with four of its first five games at home. It opens at home on Sept. 2 against South Alabama, then hosts Southeastern Conference team Mississippi the next week.

The Green Wave were ranked ninth in the final AP Top 25 for the 2022 season after going 12-2, a 10-win improvement from the previous season that marked the best in major college football history. They capped it with a 46-45 win in the Cotton Bowl over Southern California after scoring 16 points in the final 4:07 of the New Year’s Six game.

Navy, also among the eight remaining AAC football schools, will open its season on Sept. 26 against Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland.

Among the other highlighted nonconference games for AAC teams, South Florida will host SEC powerhouse Alabama on Sept. 16. That is a week after league newcomer SMU plays at Oklahoma, which will be the final season in the Big 12 for the Sooners before they go to the SEC.

Teams from the American will play six games each from the SEC and Big 12, and four against the Big Ten.

Report: Shannon Dawson to Miami as offensive coordinator

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Miami is hiring Houston assistant Shannon Dawson to be its offensive coordinator, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was still being finalized and needed approval from the university.

Dawson has spent the last four years with Houston, the last three of those as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. In those three years, Houston has thrown 87 touchdown passes, which is 13th-most among all FBS programs.

The Cougars also have completed 65.2% of their passes in that span and thrown for 10,010 yards – both of those stats ranking 21st nationally over the last three years.

Dawson previously was an offensive coordinator at Southern Miss, Kentucky, West Virginia, Stephen F. Austin and Millsaps. Dawson has coached in eight bowl games – including an Orange Bowl with West Virginia – along with the FCS playoffs and the Division III playoffs.

At Miami, Dawson will replace Josh Gattis, who was fired last month after the Hurricanes went 5-7 in his only season at the school.

Miami’s offense failed to meet expectations in 2022. Part of that was injuries: Starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke battled a shoulder injury, and the Hurricanes turned to Jake Garcia – who has since transferred – and Jacurri Brown for much of the season.

Miami scored 100 points in its first two games last fall, overpowering Bethune-Cookman and Southern Miss. The Hurricanes averaged only 18.3 points the rest of the way, and finished the year 5-0 in games where the defense allowed no more than 14 points – but 0-7 when opponents scored more than 14.

Miami was 86th nationally in total offense last season, averaging 367.1 yards per game, and 97th in scoring offense.

Dawson is the second coordinator Miami coach Mario Cristobal has hired this month. He also landed Lance Guidry, who was defensive coordinator at Marshall last season and had accepted the same position at Tulane. Guidry is replacing Kevin Steele, who left the Hurricanes for Alabama.